Former Chester Board of Education Member Dies

Henry Peter Ragiel died peacefully on Tuesday at the Morristown Medical Center. He was 77.

Born in Mount Carmel, PA Ragiel was raised in Newark and lived in Chester for 40 years before moving to Bedminster 10 years ago.

He graduated from East Side High School and received his MAE in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania in 1959. Ragiel was active in the University of Pennsylvania Alumni Assoc. He also served on the Board of Education in Chester, NJ and was a member of the Rotary International in Chester.

Henry was the President of HPR Associates in Chester. He retired in 1999. He also worked with the architectural firms of H.L.W. in New York, New York and Moran and Associates of Roseland.

His family will remember him as a loving father and grandfather as well as a lover of classical music, the beaches of NJ, and art of all kinds.

Survivors include Ellen Marie Ragiel; one daughter Dana Ragiel of Chicago, IL two sons, Steven Thomas Ragiel and his wife Leah of Houston, TX, and Sean Ragiel and his wife Stacy Hipp-Ragiel of Bedminster; and his three grandchildren Ian Thomas, Eleanore Grace, and Carter James.

Visitation will be held on Friday from 3-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at the Bailey Funeral Home, 176 Main St., Peapack. A service will be held on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the funeral home. For those desiring, donations to the Boys and Girls Club of Newark, in his memory, would be appreciated.